(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to enclosures for use in a outdoor environment and, more particularly, to a vented cap for such an enclosure.
(2) Background Art
Enclosure caps are very well known to those skilled in the art. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,510 to Ramsey, Jr. et al. teaches a pedestal enclosure for buried cable including a body portion of rectangular cylindrical construction and a formed cap fastened to the body portion at an upper end thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,610 to Main teaches a terminal housing having top and bottom walls shaped as inverted pans which support between them a forwardly arched arrangement of equipment and a perpendicularly continuous side wall enclosure which includes two doors hinged adjacent the rear of the panel arch and extending forward and across into overlapping relation at the front. A cap or cover having a depending peripheral flange is supported above the top wall in a normally raised position by springs in which position it clears the doors and allows them to open. An actuating lever is provided to move the cap downward over the top edges of the doors to secure them closed.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,700 to Gaudet teaches a vented enclosure designed to protect electronic or other equipments from the elements in the out of doors. A plurality of apertures are formed in a rectangular cylindrical body portion at an upper end thereof which openings are protected from rain or splashed water by a spaced apart cover panel. The apertures permit convective movement of air out of the enclosure and cooperate with openings in the enclosure bottom to dissipate heat internally generated from therein contained equipment and heat generated by sun rays.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,080 to Olson teaches a protected telephone service termination including a channel-shaped stake, a plate secured to an upper end of the stake, a telephone circuit protector mounted to the plate and a cap adapted to slidingly cover the circuit protector to protect the circuit protector from the environment.
The above inventions are seen to address various methods of protecting equipment operating in the environment but none is seen to describe or teach a vented enclosure cap in the manner taught by Applicant's invention.